Things that tug at your tear bags!

[happyninja42]

So, I recently noticed, after watching a certain trailer, that I find certain things very effective at triggering my emotion centers, particularly when it comes to music. Now, I've known this about me and music for years, but I've noticed that, for certain uses of music, it hits a button in my brain, my "Awesome Button", which tends to make me get choked up. And I noticed this, because of a trailer, for a movie, that is a reboot, of a kid show...that I never actually watched. And yet, even after having zero investment in this franchise, I still found myself having an emotional response to the audio effect.

The culprit?


The final musical sting, where they redo the theme music for the show. I don't know, I just can't really explain why it effects me, because I never watched the show. I was already too old to be interested in it when it really got big, so there is no nostalgia effect for me. And yet, that "Duh duh, duh duh DUH duh" they do, in that deep base way, hits me.

Another culprit of this


The opening piano bit, with the very simple message about the 4 scientists that save New York, hits me too. Now that one gets a bit of a pass, because I do have some nostalgia tugs for Ghostbusters, but that much. So I find it curious, the way that particular musical trick hits me. It feels like it's hinting at a latent strength, or power, that is about to wake up and save the day. A sort of legacy theme kind of feel to it. Which, for me, is a huge draw. I love legacy stories. And for some reason, that music style triggers that feel for me.

So, anyone have a similar reaction to that kind of thing like me? Or something else, that no matter when you see it/hear it/etc, it triggers an emotional response in you? A good one, or bad one?

I'm mainly curious about uses of music, or sound, or visual cues in entertainment, not so much tropes themselves.

 

[the December King]

I mean, Annie Lennox singing Into the West... it was perfect.

Also, Johnny Depp as Hunter talking about the vibe of the 60s to the song Come on People Now (The Youngbloods version) in Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas(1998). I always get sand in my eye at that moment. I feel like the rest of the scenes around it enhance and lift the feeling with their zaniness.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Usually anything involving animals, especially pets.

There's a new movie coming out (can't remember what it's called) but it's about a dog who grew up with this little boy, died, and then came back as another dog. And he lives that life until he dies, and then comes back as yet another dog. This keeps going until he comes back again and is reunited with his original master, who is now a man in his fifties, and the dog starts doing all the same tricks.
It looks super sweet, but I was tearing up just from the trailer. No way am I watching that movie.

 

[Saltyk]

While I would say music can help, it takes more than music to hit me in the feels. It needs to be a heartfelt scene that is the result of extensive character development and hardship.

A few moments that can make me shed a tear are:
~Zuko reuniting with his uncle. The scene is freaking powerful. Zuko arrives to find his uncle asleep, so silently waits for him to wake. And when he does, you see his uncle aware of his presence and his attitude becomes somber. But as Zuko starts to apologize and you can tell he is ashamed for everything that he did, his uncle suddenly embraces him without reservation. Shocked, Zuko states that he thought Iroh was mad at him only to be assured that he was never angry, only sad that he had lost his way. Damn, if that doesn't hit all the right notes.
~Lelouch's death in Code Geass. This whole time we had followed him and as he completes his final plan, by having his best friend take his life in front of the whole world, he falls and slides to where his sister sits, chained to the float. She slowly touches her brother's hand, and seems to become aware of what he had actually done, and suddenly she begins to wail and cry for someone to save her brother. That right there can break anyone.

An example of a scene that does work well with music actually comes from FF8.

I do think the music makes this scene have that much more punch.​

 

[Chanticoblues]

Usually it's pretty understated or gestural stuff that get to me. A round of applause in The Traveling Players, a grab of the hand in A City of Sadness, a wave in Sleeping Man.

Where a story decides to end can really get to me too. Not that I'm sentimental about the fact that the story is ending, but rather what point it decides to make with the act of the story closing. The Straight Story, Wanda, Les Rendez-vous d'Anna, The House of Mirth.

The only out-and-out tearjerker that really gets to me is Umberto D. Even then, it isn't as grandiose or fatalistic as it could be. It could have ended a hell of a lot worse.

 

[Paragon Fury]

The ending to the Witchblade anime gets me every time.

 

[rosac]

I do think the music makes this scene have that much more punch.​

Holy shit.

The obvious ones for me are the FFX ending, Kains ending in FFIV, the song run by snow patrol, the ending of crisis core and the future diary anime at times. Also berserk (the original anime) pretty fucked me up.

 

[Glongpre]

Hmmmm, I feel like mine are kinda weird.

I consistently get teary during scenes which involve heroics in some way, like in Braveheart where he stays loyal to his cause, or in Batman Begins, when Bruce tells Rachel who he is by repeating her quote (this one I find really odd).

There are also the typical ones, dogs being reunited with family, dogs/kids being excited when soldiers return, etc.

Man, there are some really good tear jerker commercials coming out of asia!

Spoiler: commercial

They get me every time! Modern day heroes. I don't know what it is about helping others that gets me so emotional.

Also, I got pretty choked up the first time I saw my bro play professional hockey live.

 

[Fox12]

In this post modern world, not much phases me anymore. It's usually little surprising things that don't draw attention to themselves.

Like Lautrecs armor design in Dark Souls.

Or the scene in To Kill a Mockingbird where the whole courtroom rises in honor of Atticus Finch when he walks by.

 

[davidmc1158_v1legacy]

This one makes me tear up every single time I see it. And I've seen it quite a few times.

 

[The Wykydtron]

A massive amount of stuff in The Fruit of Grisaia (available now on Steam, buy now beat the rush) gets me. I see a lot of myself in Based Girl Michiru so her route always destroys me emotionally, especially the first time I went through it. It makes a lot of the genuinely hilarious scenes in the Common Route look vaguely tragic once you replay them too. Even the Vitamin C Brain Juice...

[sub][sub]Holy shit, Michiru please.[/sub][/sub]

I always cry when Sachi finally breaks down in her route too, an absolute heartwrencher of a scene and cements her as a solid second best. It's so well built up to and executed spectacularly.

Yumiko has a few moments but nothing absolutely incredible and her route has some silly moments that are absent from the other routes, not exactly a bad thing but y'know that turkey. What? I mean she's the third best but that motherfucking TURKEY?! Amazing. I'm not even mad i'm just dumbfounded.

I don't think Yuuji's backstory made me cry in Labyrinth though (also available now on Steam, it's not as good but is worth it if you liked the first one) except from the one scene with the bear but it was obviously going to happen at some point so it wasn't shocking or anything. It's a damn good backstory that honestly delivers on the hints into his backstory in the first game. Good on Frontowingu for that cuz Yuuji's backstory could not have been half baked at all. It'd have really hurt the entire trilogy if it wasn't top tier.

Finally, far too many scenes to count in the Umineko games made me cry but i'll give the most credit to some of the scenes between Rosa AKA Best Mum Ever and Maria their dues. I'm never usually one for mother/daughter drama but damn there's a lot of good stuff there.

 

[balladbird]

There's this scene in MGS2, after the big death in the penultimate act before the final dungeon, where Otakon is walking, acting strong, with a bird on his shoulder... the bird says something, and he just... breaks down into sobs.

From the first time I witnessed that scene, to this very day, every time I watch it I end up joining him in those sobs. Props to the VA there, he sells absolute, soul-crushing anguish better than anyone I've ever heard.


Another example from my younger days doesn't quite hold up logically, but still gets to my emotions. Watching it as an adult, I can see how parts of it are contrived, and the whole thing is set up to be emotionally manipulative... but the night when I watched it for the first time I was INCONSOLABLE for hours. If I hadn't happened to be alone that night I imagine my family would have thought I'd lost a loved one. It was one of the strongest emotional responses I'd ever had to a piece of media, and I'm the kind of guy who's easy to make cry if you're even somewhat competent.

The trigger of these hours of sobbing? The grand finale to Gundam 0080: war in the pocket.

 

[Kolby Jack]

I don't think I've ever openly bawled at any piece of media I've seen (and I've seen Jurassic Bark). Not much of a cryer, I guess.

One scene that definitely gets me close though is Dr. Knox's family scene from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The voice actor does a tremendous job of selling such a broken man finding a moment of pure happiness that he doesn't think he deserves, plus the gentle, touching music box soundtrack... it makes me well up a little bit. He's not even really a major character (he's not even the most important DOCTOR in the show) but he's such a great part of it and he's a major reason I love Brotherhood much more than the first anime. In the first anime he probably would have died, or his family would have shown up as chimera and eaten him or something. It was really dark.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

That one scene in the series finale of Gravity Falls between Stan and Ford. You know the one.

My reaction to that scene is best summed up in this one line:
"I hate my dumb heart for making me feel things!" - Grenda

 

[Guffe]

Usually anything involving animals, especially pets.

This here!
I can't stand animals getting hurt, or alowly dying.
The first one that come to mind is IamLegend

 

[Kyrian007]

I don't think I've ever openly bawled at any piece of media I've seen (and I've seen Jurassic Bark). Not much of a cryer, I guess.

I don't generally cry either. If I'm into something enough to get emotionally affected I'm probably enjoying it... and therefore not actually sad enough to cry. But Jurassic Bark, that got me. Well it used to until they retconned it.